Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has launched the National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0, a plan that aims to raise about 16.72 trillion (16.72 lakh crore) rupees by allowing private companies to operate public assets such as highways, railways, airports and energy networks for fixed periods. The government presents the move as a way to fund new infrastructure without increasing taxes or borrowing, but for ordinary citizens, the policy carries a set of risks that deserve careful scrutiny.

A survivor-informed policy paper suggests that artificial intelligence can help disrupt trafficking networks linked to cyber scam compounds in South Asia and nearby regions, by spotting digital signals early enough to guide human intervention. The findings deserve the attention of authorities in India and across South and Southeast Asia, because earlier detection buys time, and time gives people, embassies and investigators space to act before coercion hardens into captivity.